The Herb Society of America talks "Witching Herbs and their Lore"

New post on The Herb Society of America Blog Witching Herbs and their Lore by The Herb Society of America By Andrea Jackson, Western Pennsylvania Unit of The Herb Society of America When I started my herbal adventure many years ago, I was drawn to unusual herbal topics.  Oh, I made my vinegars (still do) and my wreaths. My cooking was much improved. But as my herbal interests broadened and my library grew and grew and grew, I became fascinated by the history and lore of herbs. With fall comes the witching season. What better time to explore some of the witching herbs?  While many of the plants in our gardens can be used for charms and spells, some are truly sinister plants that every self-respecting witch needs. Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) ... In ancient times this plant was used as an aphrodisiac and treatment for infertility. It was mentioned in Genesis when the childless Rachel asked Leah for some of the mandrakes (likely the fruit) she has gathered. It must have worked since she subsequently gave birth to Joseph. Pieces of mandrake were found in the Egyptian tombs and it was mentioned in the Ebers papyrus.  How is came to be associated with magic may be lost in the mists of time but someone noticed the resemblance of the root to the shape of a man and a new charm was born. Recall from Harry Potter how the plant screams when removed from the ground. This ear-piercing scream was said to be able to kill whomever tried to remove it. So, a special procedure was devised. Three circles were drawn around the plant for protection. Then, the soil was loosened around the plant and a black dog was tied to the plant.  The witch stepped out of the circle and called the dog which pulled up the plant.  In some telling of the tale, the dog would live if it stayed in the first circle but in most the dog was sacrificed to obtain the plant. As if it wasn’t difficult enough to obtain a mandrake, a special procedure was needed to maintain it.  It must be bathed in wine, wrapped in white silk then covered with a black velvet coat. Each week it should be bathed and the bedding and silk changed. Perhaps all of this was worthwhile since mandrake was believed to contain the red earth of paradise which was necessary to produce the philosopher’s stone. Oh, and it also made one invincible in battle. Wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum) ... Closely related to monkshood (Aconitum napellus), wolfsbane contains aconitine, a deadly poison, and was considered the most dangerous of all the magical herbs. This baleful plant was made by Hecate from the foaming mouth of Cerberus the three-headed dog who guarded the gates of the underworld. If you have a stray lizard around, you can bind wolfsbane with the skin of your lizard and you will become invisible. Then think of all the candy you could snatch on Halloween.  If you are plagued by vampires and werewolves this is the plant for you since it is an effective deterrent. Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)  ... The plant looks and smells of death, perhaps because its favorite home is graveyards. Legend has it that henbane seeds were smoked by the Oracle of Delphi to increase his prophetic powers. Meanwhile the Celts considered it sacred to Bel, their god of prophecy. Henbane contains atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine which in large doses increase the heart rate. They also cause dry mouth, dilated pupils, weakness and agitated excitement.  The herb can produce the sensation of the soul separating from the body and flying through the skies. It can also produce a sense of body dissolution and erotic hallucinations. Then, when it wears off the person remembers nothing of what has happened. (It is interesting to note that atropine is used in medicine to increase the heart rate and scopolamine was a component of “twilight sleep” formerly administered to women in labor so they did not remember childbirth.) Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and Jimson weed (Datura stramonium) and mandrake all contain atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine.  The plants and sometimes a bit of opium and fly agaric were included in flying ointments. This was a dangerous brew indeed.  Undoubtedly some witches got to the other side in a way they never intended. If all this seems a bit frightening, just remember that you can keep witches away by throwing a yarrow leaf into the fire or by rubbing your floor with rue. Happy Halloween! Andrea Jackson, R.N.,  is a master gardener with a certificate in sustainable horticulture. She has more than 30 years’ experience studying, lecturing and loving herbs. She belongs to the Herb Society of America, American Herbalist’s Guild and Piccadilly Herb Club, and the American Botanical Council. The Herb Society of America | October 29, 2018 at 7:00 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/p3b0ip-1gu Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from The Herb Society of America Blog. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://herbsocietyblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/29/witching-herbs-and-their-lore/

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4th Annual Lavender Festival at Blooming Hill

     

4th Annual Blooming Hill

 Lavender Festival

Friday & Saturday, June 8 & 9, 2018

Talks, Have Tea with Us, Tours, Crafters, Labyrinth, Lavender Ice Cream, Gardens, Gift Shop, Wine & Mead Tastings, Cocktail Tastings, French pastries and treats & Yoga in the field. Best of all, LAVENDER!

Parking $5/Car

*No reservations necessary to have tea and scones out on the patio, $15/person.

*Make lavender wands & tussie mussies with members of the Herb Society of America.

*Learn about growing & crafting with gourds with members of the Virginia Lover’s Gourd   

  Society.

*Pick-Your-Own Lavender - 15 cents/stem.

*Lavender Plants for sale

*Specific costs apply to specific activities, purchases & tastings.

* Contact loudounvalleyyoga.com to schedule your space in a yoga class; Friday & Saturday - 12 noon  

                                                 

                                         Participating Crafters and Vendors:

Alex Carr Art Studio

Barefoot Weavers

Bittersweet Design Studio

Catoctin Distillery

Green Alchemy Herb & Mercantile Co.

Herb Society of America, Potomac Unit

AB Hats

La Petite LouLou Café

Loudoun Valley Herbs

Loudoun Valley Yoga

Madeira Woodworking & Garden Finds

Mary Mayo Designs

Stonehouse Meadery

Sunny Lane Forge

Suzabelle Vintage Handbags

The Oktopous Garden

Virginia Lover’s Gourd Society

19929 Telegraph Springs Road

Purcellville (Philomont) VA 20132

                                           bloominghillva.com

                                                           703-431-0779

JThe sun always shines at

Blooming HillJ!

#bloominghilllavenderfestival

     

4th Annual Blooming Hill

 Lavender Festival

Friday & Saturday, June 8 & 9, 2018

Talks, Have Tea with Us, Tours, Crafters, Labyrinth, Lavender Ice Cream, Gardens, Gift Shop, Wine & Mead Tastings, Cocktail Tastings, French pastries and treats & Yoga in the field. Best of all, LAVENDER!

Parking $5/Car

*No reservations necessary to have tea and scones out on the patio, $15/person.

*Make lavender wands & tussie mussies with members of the Herb Society of America.

*Learn about growing & crafting with gourds with members of the Virginia Lover’s Gourd   

  Society.

*Pick-Your-Own Lavender - 15 cents/stem.

*Lavender Plants for sale

*Specific costs apply to specific activities, purchases & tastings.

* Contact loudounvalleyyoga.com to schedule your space in a yoga class; Friday & Saturday - 12 noon  

Participating Crafters &  Vendors:

Alex Carr Art Studio

Barefoot Weavers

Bittersweet Design Studio

Catoctin Distillery

Green Alchemy Herb & Mercantile Co.

Herb Society of America, Potomac Unit

AB Hats

La Petite LouLou Café

Loudoun Valley Herbs

Loudoun Valley Yoga

Madeira Woodworking & Garden Finds

Mary Mayo Designs

Stonehouse Meadery

Sunny Lane Forge

Suzabelle Vintage Handbags

The Oktopous Garden

Virginia Lover’s Gourd Society

Our Location: (GPS Address)

19929 Telegraph Springs Road

Purcellville (Philomont) VA 20132

bloominghillva.com

  703-431-0779

  

JThe sun always shines at

Blooming HillJ!

Welcome Spring!

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first

spring day is another. The difference between them is

sometimes as great as a month.

— Henry Van Dyke, "Fisherman's Luck"

While March may own the first day of spring, it also is responsible for the last day of winter!

Even though end of winter offers hope, it can also be as endless as the cold winter nights of December and January.

Perhaps it's time to sit a while and contemplate the ways of Mother Nature and not take her for granted, although the snow, a four letter word, is not so bad after all.

Wake me up when spring has sprung and the cold days are gone.  March still wants to hold on to the blankets of snow and keep the shades of grey drawn as if to say, "I'll hit the snooze alarm, pull the covers over my head and get a few more moments of sleep, out in the field, too.

Tables and chairs at the ready to welcome a change of pace and a flush of color along with the warm breath of sunny spring days--hope springs eternal!

Blossoms and snowflakes vie for their own space on this first full day of spring who, by the way cannot make up her mind as to which one is her favorite.  My money is on the blossoms that may fall off in the long run but, they are making way for green leaves.

Have a happy first day of Spring.  Keep in mind that the snow is just a fleeting fancy in March, a most fickle month!

Ultra Violet--It's Really Ultra Lavender!

Every year, I wait in anticipation for Pantone's announcement of their chosen color of the new year and I especially love it when they choose a shade of purple that most resembles the color of lavender--the plant, I mean.  They always seem to avoid the elephant in the room and give the pretty purple hue another name than what it really should be.  After all, a rose by any other name is still a rose so why should it be different for another garden princess whom we lovingly refer to as lavender?

Lavender in bloom here at Blooming Hill last summer.

Ultra Violet looks wonderfully, yet not surprisingly familiar to me so I'll just cut to the chase and say that lavender is purple and purple is "Ultra Violet", therefore "Ultra Violet" is purple and purple is lavender! It's gonna be a great year.  Thanks Pantone.  You made my life in lavender even bigger and brighter than I ever could have imagined for 2018.